I am looking at the idea of buying radios for all of our 70 firefighters on our Career Department. We work 24/48. I know that a lot of Volunteer Departments do this and it works well for them, but they have differant needs than a full time department does at times. I am looking for feed back on the good and bad points of letting all of my guys have their own radios. Maybe even letting them take them home with them. Is other departments doing this and how is it working for you?

11-20-2008, 07:08 AM

THEFIRENUT

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbentley65

I am looking at the idea of buying radios for all of our 70 firefighters on our Career Department. We work 24/48. I know that a lot of Volunteer Departments do this and it works well for them, but they have differant needs than a full time department does at times. I am looking for feed back on the good and bad points of letting all of my guys have their own radios. Maybe even letting them take them home with them. Is other departments doing this and how is it working for you?

I really don't know why paid guys would need to carry their radios home. I would just put one radio per seat in your trucks and leave it at that. This way, the radios would be there (and charged) when you needed them. Also, I would make sure that you have communication SOG/SOPs in place.

11-20-2008, 10:17 AM

jbrescue

We are currently issued our own radios, this may change when the new system and much more expensive radios come around. The logic behind this is that you are responsible for the care and battery condition of your radio. We also have the emergency buttons programed with our ID numbers, this way dispatch knows who pushed the button. We are each issued two batteries also. We used to share radios. The problem was the guy A liked the lapel mc, guy B did not. The pins would get destroyed from the constants place/replacement of the mics.

11-20-2008, 10:20 AM

dmleblanc

In a volunteer department there are good reasons for everyone having their own radio, like JB pointed out. At my paid job, everyone is issued their own radio, and I think it works well because I believe that you do take beter care of the radio if it is issued to you personally. I've been using mine daily for about 10 years and have never had a problem with it. If you have the financial means I think it would be a good idea, for some of the reasons mentioned.

11-20-2008, 12:42 PM

BoxAlarm187

Unheard of in our area for career departments. Our radios are $4500 each, and multiply that times 550 people, and you could see that it would be cost prohibitive for us anyway.

There would be so few guys that would make use of the radio during their off-duty hours, it wouldn't make sense for us. We have four radios issued per apparatus, and this works well for us.

11-20-2008, 03:51 PM

Hazmat91180

Provided you have the financial means and then of course the training/SOPs regarding their use, especially when involved in a working structure fire or similar.

There is so much radio traffic on some of my calls, I cannot even imagine if everyone had a radio.

11-21-2008, 08:00 AM

KB1OEV

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxAlarm187

Our radios are $4500 each, and multiply that times 550 people, and you could see that it would be cost prohibitive for us anyway.

$4500 for a radio? I hope you are talking about a mobile (truck) radio. I don't know of any handheld radios that cost that much.

11-21-2008, 08:19 AM

nmfire

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxAlarm187

Unheard of in our area for career departments. Our radios are $4500 each, and multiply that times 550 people, and you could see that it would be cost prohibitive for us anyway.

There would be so few guys that would make use of the radio during their off-duty hours, it wouldn't make sense for us. We have four radios issued per apparatus, and this works well for us.

Are you buying radios with gold plating? An apparatus (mobile) radio shouldn't even cost that much.

11-21-2008, 09:20 AM

jbrescue

The new portable radios that will be coming to my area are at least $4500 each. We have heard as high as $6000 depending what bells and whistles they go with. This will most likely make us go to shared radios again. A bunch of the neighboring departments got a grant to have enough for everyone. But, we are not talking about 500 radios. We are departments of less than 50. Still big bucks.

11-21-2008, 11:43 AM

nmfire

Either you've been misinformed or your being hosed. They don't cost that much.

11-21-2008, 12:50 PM

LVFD301

They are being hosed - but with permission.

His is in Ohio. Home of MARCS. What happens when you have only one or two vendors that can offer radios on a system. (Motorola and EFJ)

4,303.00 is what a portable costs on the MARCS system from Motorola. EFJ has no reason to price it any more affordable.

And you have to add $240.00 a year for each mobile or portable that you put onto the system.

Smartnet type II omnizone system ASTRO-25 digital system.

Statewide systems, or any interoperable system should be built to OPEN STANDARDS.

Can you say "Ooooh, Let me drink some of that kool-aid!"

11-21-2008, 12:52 PM

LVFD301

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbrescue

The new portable radios that will be coming to my area are at least $4500 each. We have heard as high as $6000 depending what bells and whistles they go with. This will most likely make us go to shared radios again. A bunch of the neighboring departments got a grant to have enough for everyone. But, we are not talking about 500 radios. We are departments of less than 50. Still big bucks.

My question is WHY?

Why go on the statewide system?

Set up your own system, and if you just have to have that statewide
access, do it with a link. Use a bridge. Tie two radios together with
string and duct tape.

11-21-2008, 03:18 PM

nmfire

Oh. That mess. Nevermind, your f*#ked.

11-21-2008, 04:28 PM

jbrescue

We are being forced into it from everything I have heard. There is talk of just the officers getting the MARCS radios and everyone else getting a lesser radio that does not need to be on the entire system. Nothing is 100% yet.

11-21-2008, 08:30 PM

islandfire03

We just finished purchasing 22 portables and 4 dual head mobiles . We got cases,shoulder mikes, bone conduction mikes for fire helmets, 12 spare L.I. batteries, 6 bay charger for the rescue truck, plus installation of the mobiles.
The portable radios we bought had the highest milspec rating and are fully immersion rated.
The grand total was $26,500
I know of another dept in New England that received the same amount of radios on their grant and spent over $ 140,000 thanks to being forced to buy radios that were compatible with the countywide system that they don't even use except for dispatch

11-21-2008, 09:16 PM

nmfire

Just to make y'all feel happy and warm inside.... our brand new portables which give us complete 100% interoperability with all our surrounding towns cost us $800 each. :D

11-22-2008, 02:44 PM

BoxAlarm187

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmfire

Either you've been misinformed or your being hosed. They don't cost that much.

I only WISH they didn't cost that much. Whether our locality is getting hosed or not, when our 800MHz P25 system was put on-line in 1998, the XTS 3000's (model 2's) cost the locality $3500 each. Now they're fetching around $4500. The FD radios are non-encrypted, and outside of the P25, don't have a lot of bells and whistles programmed in. /\/\otorola = you can't pay more for less!

We are part of a regional system, so we're able to communicate with all of our local jurisdictions by simply changing zones.

At home in the volly county, our trusty HT1250's and CDM1250's on VHF treat us well. ;)

11-24-2008, 01:21 AM

SilverCity4

My paid job has those special $4500 Motorolas too.

At work, each engine and ladder has four radios assigned, up from two just three years ago. Many of the older guys think it a waste because "privates shouldn't carry radios".

The policy is that only the commanding officer handles radio traffic for a unit or assigned crew, with the following exeptions: (1) drivers pumping apparatus for necessary radio traffic (2) paramedics speaking with med control or responding ambulance (3) any member in the event they need to call a mayday or emergency traffic.

Number 3 is the driving force behind the increase in assigned radios.

I think our Local would throw an absolute fit if we were told to carry our radios home. If you leave them on the truck for each position, you only have to buy a 1/3 of your total strength.

we are a small rural career dept. and everyone has a issued radio, so all personnel have an assigned number incase of a emergency, county dispatch will not allow us to use mandown button, it was just to much more work for them to help us if there was a man down! Good luck.

01-27-2009, 12:36 AM

mrivers09

i know exactly what he's talkin bout... our portables cost that much too... the reason is here in florida we now have SLERS ( Statewide Law-Enforcement Radio System) which is an 800 mhz EDACS system so yes portables can be super expensive.